Asenathi Ntlabakanye. Picture: Instagram
Fresh off the back of their victory against Australia, the Springboks and coach Rassie Erasmus have been hit by another hurdle as one of their players has tested positive for the use of a banned substance.
The player in question – Lions and recent Springbok debutant Asenathi Ntlabakanye.
The 26-year-old was one of several promising stars who made their debut earlier this year and showed the promise of being a force to be reckoned with in his first unofficial match against the Barbarians in Cape Town.
This has resulted in the prop missing out on the inclusion to travel to New Zealand, where the team will take on their old foe in rounds 3 and 4 of the Rugby Championship.
Sports broadcaster SuperSport reports that the player has disputed his guilt, while SA Rugby has also supported him, claiming that the substance taken was “non-performance enhancing” and that there is a misunderstanding.
In a statement released by the organisation, they further added, “The non-performance enhancing substance for which he tested positive was prescribed by a specialist physician early in 2025 for medical reasons and taken with the approval and the supervision of a medical doctor specifically appointed to manage the medical affairs of professional rugby players.”
It was further highlighted that he had remained transparent throughout this process and had no intention of gaining an unfair advantage over his opponents.
SA Rugby noted that he will be given some time off to focus on defending his case, while they will also avoid commenting on the matter until the SAIDS process runs its course.
Also see: Aphiwe Dyantyi opens up about dark time that nearly ended his rugby career